This buttermilk biscuit recipe delivers towering, flaky, golden homemade biscuits that’ll make your kitchen smell like a Southern grandma’s house. Perfect with butter, jam, or smothered in gravy!
Okay, let’s talk about biscuits for a second. Not those sad, flat hockey pucks from a can—I’m talking about real, honest-to-goodness, tall and flaky buttermilk biscuits that split open with barely any effort and practically beg for a pat of butter.
I’ll be honest, I used to be terrified of making biscuits from scratch. I thought you needed some kind of secret Southern DNA or years of practice. But turns out? It’s actually pretty straightforward once you know the tricks. And trust me, once you nail this buttermilk biscuit recipe, you’ll never go back to store-bought.
The secret’s in keeping everything cold and not overthinking it. These beauties are tender, buttery, and have those gorgeous flaky layers that make you look like a total kitchen rockstar. Whether you’re serving them alongside healthy ground turkey taco skillet for dinner or just slathering them with jam for breakfast, they’re absolutely worth the minimal effort.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Buttermilk Biscuit Recipe
Here’s the thing about these old-fashioned buttermilk biscuits—they’re legitimately easy, even if you’ve never made biscuits before. You don’t need any fancy equipment (though a pastry cutter helps), and the whole process takes maybe 30 minutes start to finish.
They come out tall and impressive, with that perfect golden-brown top that looks like it came from a bakery. The inside? Flaky, tender layers that just melt in your mouth. Plus, that little brush of honey butter at the end? Chef’s kiss.
These homemade biscuits are versatile too. Breakfast, lunch, dinner—they work for everything. I’ve served them with fried chicken, used them for breakfast sandwiches, and honestly, sometimes I just eat them warm with butter because they’re that good.
Foolproof Buttermilk Biscuits
Equipment
- Large mixing bowl
- Pastry cutter
- Silicone spatula
- Rolling surface
- 3-inch cookie cutter
- Cast iron skillet or baking sheet
- Oven
Ingredients
For the Biscuits
- 2 ½ cups All-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons Aluminum-free baking powder NOT baking soda
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 2 teaspoons Honey
- ½ cup Very cold butter 1 stick, cubed
- 1 cup + 3 tablespoons Cold buttermilk
For the Topping
- 2 tablespoons Honey
- 1 tablespoon Butter
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Mix flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.
- Cut cold butter into small cubes and work into flour mixture until coarse crumbs form.
- Add cold buttermilk and honey. Fold gently until just combined, do not overmix.
- Turn dough onto floured surface. Shape into rectangle, fold thirds over three times to create layers.
- Pat dough to 10×7 inches, 1 inch thick. Cut 3-inch biscuits without twisting cutter. Gather scraps and cut 2 more biscuits.
- Place biscuits close together in buttered skillet or on baking sheet. Bake 15 minutes until golden.
- Mix melted butter and honey. Brush over hot biscuits before serving.
Notes
Ingredients You’ll Need
Here’s what you’ll need to make these easy buttermilk biscuits. Most of this stuff you probably already have hanging out in your kitchen.
| For the Biscuits | Amount |
|---|---|
| All-purpose flour | 2 ½ cups |
| Aluminum-free baking powder (NOT baking soda!) | 2 tablespoons |
| Salt | 1 teaspoon |
| Honey | 2 teaspoons |
| Very cold butter (1 stick) | ½ cup |
| Cold buttermilk | 1 cup + 3 tablespoons |
| For the Topping | Amount |
|---|---|
| Honey | 2 tablespoons |
| Butter | 1 tablespoon |
A few quick notes here. First, that butter needs to be COLD. Like, straight from the fridge cold. Same with the buttermilk. This is what creates those flaky layers we’re after. And second, make absolutely sure you’re using baking powder, not baking soda. They’re not interchangeable here, and baking soda will give you some funky-tasting biscuits.
The honey’s optional but highly recommended—it adds just a touch of sweetness that balances everything out perfectly.
How to Make Homemade Buttermilk Biscuits (Flaky!)
Alright, let’s get into it. This is where the magic happens, but I promise it’s not complicated.
Prep Your Oven and Mix the Dry Ingredients
First things first—preheat your oven to 425°F. You want it nice and hot so these babies rise up tall and proud.
Grab a large mixing bowl and toss in your flour, baking powder, and salt. Give it a good stir until everything’s evenly distributed. This is your dry mixture base, and making sure the baking powder’s mixed in well is key for even rising.
Cut in the Cold Butter
Now for the fun part. Cut your cold butter into small cubes—about half-inch pieces work great. Add them to your flour mixture.
Use a pastry cutter (or honestly, the back of a fork works too) to work that butter into the flour. You’re looking for it to look like coarse crumbs, kind of like wet sand with some pea-sized butter chunks still hanging around. Don’t overwork it—those little butter pieces are what’ll create steam in the oven and give you those flaky layers.
Add the Wet Ingredients
Make a well in the center of your flour-butter mixture. Pour in the cold buttermilk and drizzle in the honey.
Grab a silicone spatula and gently fold everything together until it’s just combined. Here’s where people usually mess up—don’t overmix! It should look shaggy and crumbly, not smooth. Overmixing develops the gluten and you’ll end up with tough biscuits instead of tender ones.
The Folding Technique (This Is Important!)
Dump your dough onto a floured surface. It’ll look messy—that’s totally normal. Use your hands to gently shape it into a rectangle about 9 inches long.
Now here’s the game-changer: fold the left third into the middle, then fold the right third over that. Kind of like you’re folding a letter to fit in an envelope. This creates layers!
Rotate the dough 90 degrees so it’s horizontal in front of you. Gently flatten it back into a rectangle and repeat that folding process two more times. So you’ll fold it three times total. This is what creates those gorgeous flaky layers in your homemade buttermilk biscuits.
Cut Your Biscuits
After your final fold, pat the dough into a rectangle that’s about 10 x 7 inches and roughly 1 inch thick. Don’t use a rolling pin if you can help it—your hands are gentler and won’t compress the layers.
Grab a 3-inch round cookie cutter and cut straight down. This is crucial—don’t twist the cutter! Twisting seals the edges and prevents the biscuits from rising properly. Just press straight down and pull straight up. You should get about 6 biscuits from the first cut.
Lightly flour the inside of your cutter between cuts to prevent sticking. I like to pop the cut biscuits in the fridge while I’m working to keep them cold.
Gently gather the scraps, pat them back out to 1 inch thick, and cut 2 more biscuits. Try not to overwork the dough. You should end up with about 8 biscuits total.
Bake to Golden Perfection
Butter a 10-inch cast iron skillet (or use parchment paper on a baking sheet). Place your biscuits so they’re almost touching each other—like, barely a finger’s width apart. This proximity actually helps them rise taller as they push against each other.
Pop them in your preheated 425°F oven and bake for 15 minutes, or until the tops are beautifully golden brown.
While they’re baking, melt your tablespoon of butter and mix it with the 2 tablespoons of honey for the topping.
As soon as those biscuits come out, brush them generously with that honey butter mixture. The warm biscuits will soak it up and it adds the most amazing flavor. If you want extra browning on top, you can bump the oven up to 450°F and bake for another 5 minutes after brushing.
Expert Tips for Perfect Biscuits Every Time
Want to know what separates okay biscuits from incredible ones? These little tricks will get you there.
Keep everything cold. Seriously, this is the number one rule. I even chill my mixing bowl in the freezer for 10 minutes before starting. Cold butter + cold buttermilk = flaky biscuits. If your kitchen’s really warm, pop the dough in the fridge for 15 minutes before cutting.
Don’t overwork the dough. I know I already said this, but it bears repeating. Mix until just combined, fold gently, and handle the dough as little as possible. The more you work it, the tougher your biscuits will be.
Use a light hand when cutting. Press straight down with your cutter and don’t twist. Those clean edges are essential for maximum rise. And yeah, the scraps won’t rise quite as high as the first batch, but they’ll still be delicious.
Bake them close together. Crowding them in the pan isn’t a bad thing here—it actually helps them rise up instead of spreading out. They’ll push against each other and get taller.
Delicious Variations to Try
Once you’ve nailed the basic buttermilk biscuit recipe, it’s fun to mix things up a bit.
Cheese biscuits: Add about 1 cup of shredded sharp cheddar cheese to the dry ingredients. These are incredible with healthy street corn pasta salad on the side.
Herb biscuits: Mix in 2 tablespoons of fresh chopped herbs like rosemary, thyme, or chives. So good with soups and stews.
Drop biscuits: If you’re in a hurry, skip the folding and cutting. Just add a bit more buttermilk to make a wetter dough, then drop spoonfuls onto your baking sheet. They won’t be quite as flaky, but they’re still delicious and take half the time.
Garlic butter biscuits: Brush the tops with melted butter mixed with garlic powder and parsley instead of honey butter. Similar vibes to sourdough cheesy breadsticks.
Troubleshooting Common Biscuit Problems
Even experienced bakers run into issues sometimes. Here’s how to fix the most common problems.
Biscuits didn’t rise: This usually means your baking powder was old or you twisted the cutter when cutting. Make sure your baking powder’s fresh—it loses potency after about 6 months.
Biscuits are tough: You probably overmixed the dough or handled it too much. Remember, shaggy and barely-combined is what you’re going for.
Biscuits spread instead of rising: Your butter got too warm before baking. Next time, keep everything colder and work faster, or chill the cut biscuits for 10 minutes before baking.
Biscuits are dry: You might’ve added too much flour or overbaked them. Make sure you’re measuring flour correctly (spoon it into the measuring cup, don’t pack it), and check them at 12 minutes to gauge timing.
How to Store and Reheat Your Biscuits
Let’s be real—these old-fashioned buttermilk biscuits are best enjoyed warm from the oven. But if you’ve got leftovers (lucky you!), here’s how to keep them delicious.
| Storage Method | Instructions | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Room temperature | Store in an airtight container | Up to 2 days |
| Refrigerator | Keep in an airtight container or zip-top bag | Up to 5 days |
| Freezer | Wrap individually in plastic wrap, then store in a freezer bag | Up to 3 months |
Reheating tips: For refrigerated biscuits, wrap them in foil and warm in a 350°F oven for about 10 minutes. For frozen biscuits, thaw at room temperature for an hour, then warm the same way. You can also split them and toast them—they’re amazing that way!
No-waste kitchen idea: Day-old biscuits make incredible bread pudding or biscuit croutons for salads. Just cube them, toss with olive oil and seasonings, and bake until crispy.
Nutrition Information
Here’s the breakdown per biscuit (recipe makes 8 biscuits):
| Nutrient | Amount |
|---|---|
| Calories | 285 |
| Total Fat | 13g |
| Saturated Fat | 8g |
| Cholesterol | 33mg |
| Sodium | 520mg |
| Total Carbohydrates | 37g |
| Dietary Fiber | 1g |
| Sugars | 6g |
| Protein | 5g |
Note: Nutrition information is approximate and may vary based on specific ingredients used.
Buttermilk Biscuit FAQs
Can I make these biscuits ahead of time?
Absolutely! You can cut the biscuits and freeze them unbaked on a baking sheet, then transfer to a freezer bag once solid. Bake from frozen, adding about 5 extra minutes to the baking time. They’ll taste fresh-baked every time.
What if I don’t have buttermilk?
No problem—make your own! Add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar to a measuring cup, then fill with regular milk to the 1 cup line. Let it sit for 5 minutes and you’ve got a buttermilk substitute that works great in this recipe.
Why do my biscuits have a bitter taste?
This almost always means you accidentally used baking soda instead of baking powder, or your baking powder is way past its expiration date. Double-check your ingredients and make sure your leavening agents are fresh.
Can I use self-rising flour instead?
You can, but you’ll need to adjust the recipe. Self-rising flour already has baking powder and salt, so skip those ingredients. Just use 2 ½ cups self-rising flour, add the honey and buttermilk, and proceed with the recipe.
What’s the best way to serve these homemade buttermilk biscuits?
They’re incredibly versatile! Serve them with butter and jam for breakfast, alongside Gordon Ramsay ground turkey pasta for dinner, or use them to make breakfast sandwiches. They’re also amazing with fresh broccoli pasta salad for a complete meal.
Ready to Bake?
There you have it—a foolproof buttermilk biscuit recipe that actually works! Once you make these homemade biscuits and see how easy they are, you’ll wonder why you ever bought the canned stuff.
The key is keeping everything cold, not overthinking it, and trusting the process. Those flaky layers? They’re waiting for you on the other side of about 30 minutes of easy work.
I’d love to hear how yours turn out! Drop a comment below and let me know if you tried any of the variations. And if you loved these easy buttermilk biscuits as much as I do, please share this recipe on Pinterest so your friends can enjoy them too. Happy baking!
